Ombudsman against the Ministry of Refugees

Public Defender, Sozar Subari, opposes the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation. He speaks about concrete violations of the Ministry and petitions to the President to protect IDPs. The Minister Kheviashvili does not consider Subari’s statements serious and advises him to resign.

The Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation was inserted on the list of governmental institutions that mostly violate human rights in Georgia. Non-governmental organizations, part of parliamentary majority and opposition agrees with the Public Defender. The reason for his critical statements was the Ministry’s attitude to the IDPs. More precisely, eviction of the IDPs from their temporary accommodations and leaving those people in the street is beyond human treatment of the people.

The last fact of eviction of IDPs made the controversy between Public Defender and the Minister more acute. Several days ago, IDPs were forced out into the street from the Shandor Petefi # 15. Eight families spend nights in the street so far. After the evicted people complained, the Ministry promised the families to pay 250 lari to pay the rent of flats for a month. Within that time the Ministry promised to find some alternative building to lodge the IDPs in. Despite the promise, IDPs have remained in the street for five days already. None of those families have received the promised money.

“Representatives of the Ministry did not meet us to inform about our supposed eviction from the building; they did not tell us where to move to; they did not ask whether we had any alternative place to go to. Just have a look, how our furniture and things are all over in the street. Uniformed people attacked us and threw out everything into the street. We do not know what we have lost during this fuss. Could they be so sadists? Our Ministry persecutes us and violates our rights instead of supporting us. If they needed the building they should initially have found alternative accommodation for us and then evicted us from here. They promised us to pay 250 lari for a month, but we have not received anything yet. Besides that, if they give us the money, nobody wants to rent out it for a month only,” said evicted IDPs.

In 2007 nearly 400 citizens petitioned to the Public Defender’s Office where they complained about the Ministry of Refuges and Accommodation. IDPs have also appealed to the court regarding the violation of their rights. One of the replies from the Ministry stated the following: “We are not responsible to protect the rights of IDPs and you can appeal to the court.”

Subari recalled some concrete fact and said that the rights of IDPs are violated by the Ministry itself. “We are particularly concerned by the Ministry’s attitude towards the problems of the Internally Displaced People residing in the Gali District. The stark example of the disregarding treatment is the registration process of IDPs in the Gali district. In one case, the Ministry demanded the 104-year-old IDP, who lives in the village of Pirveli Gali, to arrive at the Ministry personally. However, the international organizations could have assisted the old person to travel to Zugdidi in order to fill in all necessary documents. Another fact that proves the inattentive attitude of the Ministry towards the IDPs is that a resident of the village of Lekukhona, who has four children was demanded to arrive at the Ministry in Tbilisi four times but she could not receive the document on the IDP Status anyway. Her husband also shared her fate who is the organizer of the Georgian School in the district and at the risk of his life he manages to teach children in Georgian language.”

Because of these and many other violations, with the power granted under the Organ Law on Georgian Public Defender, Article 21, Sozar Subari petitioned to the Georgian President about the blatant and frequent violations of human rights and personal freedom.

As for the Kheviashvili’s reaction on Subari’s statements, the Minister said that the Public Defender would rather offer resignation because of his incompetence and non-professionalism and leave his position.

As for those IDPs, who are still in the street, they are going to go on hunger-strike in the building of Ministry unless their problem is resolved.

Eka Gulua